OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Evaluation

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Evaluation

My Resolution to the brief is informed by extended research which allowed me to explore the question of is there room for a physical currency in an increasingly digital world? from this I concluded  the best hope for tactile 'real' money to remain viable within society is for it to be used as a cultural exchange celebrating each nation to ensure its cultural heritage can be largely celebrated and continued. From this I established a concept of taking inspiration from the architecture of the exhibition space; a grade 2 listed brutalist building, Bank House, creating a cultural celebration of this brutalist movement within the aesthetic of the new bank note. This provides contextual relevance to the exhibition itself and applies the ecology of its surroundings to inform the aesthetic.

The design decisions that informed the exhibition piece take inspiration from the physical exhibition venue 'Bank House'. The unique architectural structure is referenced through the innovative transparent windows embedded within the banknote, inspired by my research from the Australian currency, this adds intricate detailing to the through the etched patterns into the acetate and references that large windows covering the exterior of the building. The form exhibition venue is further informed within the design printing on GF Smith Malmarque Marbled stock to add a sense of texture inspired by the buildings marble covering. To further this celebration of culture I have embedded regional iconography into the banknote design to reference the buildings established location within Yorkshire, this includes the Yorkshire Rose etched into the transparent windows and the informed colour palette of Blue and Gold inspired by Leeds City Council.

This informed research culminates into a strong aesthetic resolution for the banknote design. The tactile nature of the screen printed resolution works effectively with the aesthetic of the design. Mounted on two contrasting grey stocks helps explicitly highlight the transparent windows within the design which will engage the exhibition audience as well as referencing the concrete nature of brutalist design. This creates a contextual resolution that  engagingly represents my interpretation on the future of the banknote. 

Through extended feedback it was suggested by tutors suggested that physically extending the series through digital mock ups would add further contextually as to how this concept would work as a full set, to fully resolve the problems highlighted within the brief. Within the series it was important to reach a sense of continuity across the series to ensure they were identifiable as part of a set. Developing the series based on notable examples of Brutalist architecture within the United Kingdom extended the concept and was representative using examples from the North, Midlands and South. These were individually designed around their architectural influences and came together within the same unified grid to fulfil the extended series articulated within a promotional poster to highlight this distinct sense of continuity. 

There is still room for further development to refine and improve these designs however due to the limited timeframe of the module I have made the conscious decision to focus on brief 2 which requires a more detailed range of investigation and responses while the bulk of brief 1 is entered around the singular exhibition banknote which is completed to a high standard this mock-up suggests how a full series could be extended.